2023: 65 Million More People Than In 2022 Will Need Humanitarian Aid

The United Nations Organization has announced that it will require 51.5 billion dollars to provide humanitarian aid to 230 million people in 2023. This is a record figure that responds to a particular situation: pandemic, disease outbreaks, armed conflicts, extreme temperatures, and natural disasters. A cocktail of situations that have resulted in 65 million more people than in 2022 in need of assistance. The figure represents an increase of 25% compared to 2022 and means that 1 in 23 people in the world needs humanitarian assistance.

The report "Global Humanitarian Outlook 2023", carried out by the United Nations in partnership with other organizations, offers an overview of the challenges of the humanitarian sector and the economic requirements to assist those who find themselves in crises. "This year, persistent conflicts, the dire climate crisis, and health epidemics such as cholera and COVID-19 have caused record levels of hunger and displacement, exacerbated poverty, and put equality between women and girls far from being a reality. As a result, one in 23 people now needs humanitarian aid, more than double the percentage of just four years ago," the report said.

Needs Are "Outrageously High"

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that "needs are 'shockingly high'". In this sense, 2023 is shaping to be a difficult year for humanity, in which solidarity is necessary more than ever. Griffiths adds that in 2022 only 47 percent of what was necessary to meet the planned humanitarian aid goals was received.

On the other hand, it is not only about an increase in people in need but about an increase in the costs of products and services. For this reason, it is becoming more and more expensive to satisfy the needs that must be resolved. "For example, the monthly food purchase costs of the World Food Program are now 44 percent higher than before the pandemic," the publication explains.

What Is The Humanitarian Outlook In Latin America?

The Latin American and Caribbean region presents multiple needs with specific foci in various countries such as Venezuela, El Salvador, and Haiti. According to the "Global Humanitarian Panorama 2023" report, the number of people in need in Latin America and the Caribbean has increased by 2023. It is estimated that there are 29.2 million in the market and Central America is a critical area since the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance has increased by one million. In Haiti alone, there are 300,000 more people in need this year compared to 2022 and 715 million dollars will be required by 2023.

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On the other hand, migrants are exposed to multiple forms of violence, especially children and women. "The increase in irregular migrants transiting South and Central America, triggered by political, social and economic turmoil in several countries in the region, is overwhelming the reception capacity of many countries and exacerbating an unprecedented increase in humanitarian and of protection," the report states.